Religiously affiliated colleges and seminaries

Abstract

Many institutions of higher education in the United States have religious affiliations. For some institutions, these affiliations are largely dormant. Although they may continue to affect the overall culture of an institution, they are not expressly applied. For other institutions, particularly for seminaries, these connections may be central to the life of the institution. In addition to academic goals, these institutions may have expectations, both stated and unstated, for students and faculty members to participate in the religious life of the community. Both students and faculty may also be rewarded for participating in religious activities in the broader community. It is important to be as clear as possible about these expectations when entering such an institution. For these institutions, questions of how to address religious diversity can be particularly difficult—whether diversity across religious traditions or diversity found within the particular religion or denomination of which the school is a part. In some more conservative establishments, the religious expectations are explicit and enforced. Buyer beware.